VOA标准英语2011-Israel Fears Unrest in Egypt Could Jeopar

The unrest in Egypt is sending shock waves throughout the Middle East, including in neighboring Israel.

Israel is extremely concerned about the situation in Egypt because President Hosni Mubarak has preserved the peace treaty between the two countries for 30 years. Israel considers the treaty a strategic asset, and it fears that a regime change in Egypt could put the peace agreement in danger.

Israeli analyst¹ Yoni Ben-Menachem says an Egyptian government led by opposition² groups or the Muslim Brotherhood³ would take a harder line on Israel.

"It might be a hostile regime to Israel that will not respect the peace treaty with Israel and will cancel it, abolish this agreement, and we will go back to a situation of hostility⁴ between Israel and Egypt," said Ben-Menachem.

That would complicate⁵ Israel's situation strategically, because it already shares two borders with hostile elements: Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. And Ben-Menachem believes neighboring Jordan could be next.

"This can create the domino effect, and this fall of the regime in Egypt can also continue to Jordan, and also with Jordan we have another peace treaty," added Ben-Menachem. "And if this will happen, if there will be a strategic change in the Middle East, that will not be for the benefit of the State of Israel."

While the treaty between Egypt and Israel is often described as a "cold peace," Ben-Menachem says Israel values its relationship with President Mubarak and sees him as a bridge between Israel and the Arab world

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

4 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

5 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。